Driving gear anchor means for mines



. Nov. 14, 1967 F. COWLISHAW 3,352,117

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DRIVING GEAR ANCHOR MEANS FOR MINES Fild Nov. 12, 1964 8 SheetS -ShGet 8 MAIN FE D United States Patent 3,352,117 DRIVENG GEAR ANCHGR MEANS FOR MINES Frank Cowlishaw, Linby, England, assignor to W. E. & F. Dobson Limited, New Basford, Nottingham, England Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,460 4 Claims. (Cl. 6145) This invention relates to improved driving gear anchor means for mines of the type employed in long wall mining and comprising a pair of spaced anchor members in the form of base beams each with a hydraulic pit prop at each end, the base beams being disposed at the end of the Working face conveyor and extending transversely thereof, with the driving head (primarily for driving the conveyor) mounted across the two beams, bearing abutments spaced longitudinally of the driving head engaging bearing surfaces on the base beams, and hydraulic jacks inter-connecting the base beams and the driving head. In use the hydraulic jacks are employed to advance the driving head and the base beams in progressive steps towards the working face, appropriately contracting the hydraulic props to permit the advance of the base beams and reextending them for anchoring the driving head.

For instance where the working seam is inclined from end to end thereof there is a natural tendency for the conveyor to move towards the lower end. The driving head resists this tendency when set but since the tendency is always present and some slight movement down the incline may occur, then it is necessary to provide means for counteracting this movement by moving the base beams in an angular direction relative to the working face.

An object of the invention is to provide for angular movement of each base beam in turn when it is not held to the roof while the other base beam remains held to the roof, and to provide for obtaining parallel relationship between the base beams before the driving head is advanced.

The invention provides mining means comprising a body adapted to be stepwise advanced by hydraulic jacks using advanceable hydraulic props as releasable anchorages, wherein separate side by side adjustably connected anchorages are provided adapted for independent operation with control means for controlling the anchorages to be operated successively in predetermined relatively adjusted manner. Conveniently the separate side by side anchorages are interconnected by hydraulic actuator means, with control means to control the actuator means for adjusting the relationship between the anchorages.

Conveniently also the anchorages are side by side base beams each mounting hydraulic props and adapted to have sliding and pivotal relationship with the body to be advanced, an oppositely operable hydraulic actuator is carried by the body to be advanced and is connected at its opposite ends to the base beams respectively, hydraulic jacks interconnect the base beams and the body to be advanced, and control valve means are adapted to control operation of the hydraulic props, the hydraulic jacks, and the hydraulic actuator means.

The invention also provides driving head anchor means of the type referred to having actuator means inter-connecting the two base beams and operable for accurately positioning each base beam in required relationship to the conveyor and required parallel relation to each other. Conveniently the actuator means comprises a hydraulic cylinder adapted to be carried by the driving head and having oppositely directed rams bridging the respective beams and inter-connected with a lost motion connection. By this means one of the base beams may be held to the roof by its hydraulic props while the other base beam with its props contracted is moved to required position by operation of its associated ram, then with the latter base beam held to the roof by its hydraulic props, and the first mentioned beam released from the roof by contraction of its props, the latter base beam can be moved by its associated ram into a position parallel to the other base beam as permitted by taking up the lost motion between the two rams.

Conveniently there are two control valves one for each ram, with means for holding pressure for one ram while the other is operated.

Conveniently also the cylinder for the rams is carried by a bar secured to the driving head. Bridging of the base beams by the rams is effected by the rams extending across the beams and by abutments which project downwardly from the rams at opposite sides of the base beams.

The lost motion is conveniently obtained by plates extending from the innermost abutments of the two rams to a central location Where they overlap with bolt and slot connections.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of driving head anchor means according to the invention FIGURE 2 shows hydraulic props for the anchor means FIGURE 3 is a side view of the anchor means FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a hydraulic actuator control device for the anchor means FIGURE 5 is a plan view of FIGURE 4 FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view of FIGURE 4 FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic plan view of the anchor means at one stage under control of hydraulic control means FIGURE 8 is a similar view to FIGURE 7 showing the anchor means at a later stage FIGURE 9 is a similar view to FIGURES 7 and 8 showing the anchor means at a still later stage.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the anchor means comprises a pair of base beams 1, 2 each having end hydraulic props 3, 4, 5, 6 which, as shown in FIGURE 2, are of tilted form.

Mounted across the base beams 1, 2 there is a driving head 7 for driving the working face conveyor.

This head has arcuate abutments 8, 9, 10, 11 at opposite sides of the base beams 1, 2 and having slidable engagement with bearing bars 12, 13, 14, 15 on opposite sides of the base beams 1 and 2.

The rear ends of the base beams 1, 2 are connected by hydraulic jacks 16, 17, 18, 19 at each side thereof to the driving head.

In addition a hydraulic actuator control device 20 is provided whereof a central cylinder 21 is carried by an arm 22 from the driving head 7. From opposite ends of the cylinder 21 there projects rams 23, 24 which bridge the respective base beams 1 and 2. The rams are interconnected by plates 25, 26, 27, 28 which are inter-connected by bolts 29, 30, 31, 32.

More specifically with reference to FIGURE 4 the cylinder 21 is connected by a sleeve 33 to a plate 34 which is secured to the arm 22.

The cylinder 21 is provided with sealed end bearings 85, '36 for the rams 23, 24, and the rams have inner pistons 37, "38.

The outer ends of the rams 23, 24 have dependent abutments 39, 40, 41, 42 to form with the rams bridges over the base beams 1 and 2. v

The plates 25, 26 have slots 25a, 26a in them, FIGURE 5, (see FIGURE 4 for slot 26a), and the bolts 29, 3t 31,

' 32 extend through the slots 25a 26a to form a lost motion.

The cylinder 21 is provided with a central hydraulic pipe connection 21a and opposite pipe connections 21b, 210 by which the cylinder is connected to a suitable hydraulic circuit with the props 3 to 6 and the hydraulic jacks 16, 17, 18, 19 all under control of six suitable con trol valves 43 to 48, FIGURE 1, the cylinder 21 being suitably connected to two of the valves as hereinafter described, and there being suitable connections between the props 3, 4 and the third valve, props 5, 6 and the fourth valve, jacks 16, 17 and the fifth valve, and jacks 18, 19 and the sixth valve.

FIGURES 7 to 9 show the pipe connections 21a 21b, 21c to two of the control valves 33 to 48 which themselves are connected to main feed and return lines as shown.

FIGURE 7 shows a neutral position with the base beams 1 and 2 parallel and normal to the driving head 7.

In operation of the anchor means, the hydraulic props 3 to 6 are extended to the roof to hold the base beams to the floor and are contracted to release them, and the hydraulic jacks 16 to 19 are operated for advance of the driving head 7 while the hydraulic props 3 to 6 are extended, and for advancing the base beams 1 and 2 with their props contracted.

In the advancement of the base beams 1 and 2, and assuming base beam 1 to be advanced before base beam 2, first the props '3 and 4 are contracted by operation of the third valve, then the hydraulic jacks 16 and 17 are operated by the operation of the fifth valve to advance the base beam 1 into the position shown in FIGURE 1. At this stage the base beam 2 will still be in a retracted position, i.e. not as shown in FIGURES 1 or 7.

Next, With the hydraulic props and 6 still extended and the hydraulic props 3 and 4 still contracted, the first control valve for the ram 23 is operated to sideways displace the base beam 1 into correct required position, as allowed by the lost mot-ion between the brackets to 28. This position may be outwardly inclined as indicated in FIGURE 8 or inwardly inclined as shown in FIGURE 9.

Then the hydraulic props 3 and 4 are extended, and the hydraulic props 5 and 6 are contracted and the hydraulic jacks 18 and 19 operated to advance the base beam 2 into the position shown in FIGURES 8 or 9.

At this stage the base beam 2 will be out of parallel with the base beam 1 as shown in FIGURES 8 or 9.

This is rectified by operation of the control valve for the ram 24 which displaces the base beam 2 to the full extent as allowed by the lost motion slots 25a, 26a in the plates 25 to 28, either towards the base beam 1 as in the instance of FIGURE 8, or away from the base beam 1 as in the instance of FIGURE 9 so that the base beams 1 and 2 then become again parallel but with both base beams 1 and 2 at a required steering angle to the driving head 7.

After reextending the hydraulic props 5 and 6, the driving head 7 can be advanced by operation of the hydraulic jacks 16 to 19 during which the arcuate abutments 8 to 11 ride against the bearing bars 12 to 15 to guide the driving gear unit into correct position relatively to the conveyor, and the bridge parts of the rams 23, 24 ride along the beams 1 and 2 to their intitial position ready for repeat operation.

What I claim is:

1. Anchor means for a conveyor driving head comprising in combination, a pair of base beams, a hydraulic jack prop on each end of each base beam, a conveyor driving head mounted across the base beams, arcuate abutments on the conveyor driving head at opposite sides of the base beams, bearing bars on opposite sides of the base beams and being in sliding engagement with the arcuate abutments, double acting hydraulic jacks connecting the base beam rear ends to the driving head, a double-ended hydraulic jack comprising a central cylinder carried by the conveyor driving head, a ram projecting from each end of the central cylinder, and bridge extensions on outer ends of the rams and fitting on the base beams, and hydraulic control valve means in hydraulic circuit with the hydraulic jacks.

2. Anchor means for a conveyor driving head comprising in combination, a pair of hydraulic prop frames having base beams, a conveyor driving head mounted across said base beams, slidable means interconnecting the conveyor driving head and the prop frames, advancing hydraulic jack means interconnecting the hydraulic prop frames and the conveyor driving head, and steering hydraulic jack means carried by the conveyor driving head and interconnecting the hydraulic prop frames.

3. Mining anchor means comprising, in combination with a pair of roof supports having bases and adapted to have advance movements imparted to them in a predetermined direction, and a mining body mounted on said bases for relative sliding movement in said direct-ion and subject to a pulling force transversely to said direction, hydraulic actuator means comprising a central cylinder carried by said mining body, a pair of rams each of which projects from each end of the cylinder, a pair of bridge extensions one on each ram and attached one to each roof support, two guide plate means secured one to each ram, pin and slot means interconnecting the two guide plate means, and a pair of hydraulic control valves connected in a hydraulic circuit with said central cylinder for individual control of each ram.

4. Mining anchor means comprising in combination, a mining body, first and second roof supports comprising first and second base beams at opposing ends of said mining body and having first and second hydraulic props thereon respectively, first and second .slideway and pivoting means interconnecting said mining body ends and said first and second base beams respectively, first and second hydraulic jacks interconnecting said first and second base beams and said mining body respectively, hydraulic actuator means carried by said mining body having first and second rams, first and second slide connections between said first and second rams and said base beams respectively, first control valve means operable to extend and contract said first and second hydraulic props respectively, second control valve means operable to extend and contract said first and second hydraulic jacks respectively, to obtain advancement of one of said supports when its hydraulic props are contracted and then advancement of the other said support when the latter hydraulic props are contracted, and third control valve means for operating first one of said rams in one direction and then the other of said rams in the same direction, whereby first one support in its advancement deviates from the predetermined direction and thereafter the other support in its advancement deviates similarly from said predetermined direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,113,661 12/1963 Linke et al. 198-126 3,174,289 3/1965 Rosenberg 6145 3,192,721 7/1965 Gaskell 6145 3,225,547 12/ 1965 Hoffmann 6145 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,319,372 1/1963 France. 1,136,298 9/ 1962 Germany.

931,097 7/ 1963 Great Britain.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner, 

1. ANCHOR MEANS FOR A CONVEYOR DRIVING HEAD COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF BASE BEAMS A HYDRAULIC JACK PROP ON EACH END OF EACH BASE BEAM, A CONVEYOR DRIVING HEAD MOUNTED ACROSS THE BASE BEAMS, ARCUATE ABUTMENTS ON THE CONVEYOR DRIVING HEAD AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BASE BEAMS, BEARING BARS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BASE BEAMS AND BEING IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARCUATE ABUT MENTS, DOUBLE ACTING HYDRAULIC JACKS CONNETING THE BASE BEAM REAR ENDS TO THE DRIVING HEAD, A DOUBLE-ENDED HYDRAULIC JACK COMPRISING A CENTRAL CYLINDER CARRIED BY THE CONVEYOR DRIVING HEAD, A RAM PROJECTING FROM EACH END OF THE CENTRAL CYLINDER, AND BRIDGE EXTENSIONS ON OUTER ENDS OF THE RAMS AND FITTING ON THE BASE BEAMS, AND HY DRAULIC CONTROL VALVE MEANS IN HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT WITH THE HYDRAULIC JACKS. 